View source for W.A. Rind to Wythe, 12 August 1800

{{DISPLAYTITLE:W.A. Rind to George Wythe, 12 August 1800}}
This is a typescript transcription of a letter to George Wythe from 1800,<ref>[http://aspace.swem.wm.edu/repositories/2/archival_objects/199138 "Transcript of a letter from W.A. Rino to George Wythe, 12 August 1800,"] Manuscripts - Group 3 - People, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary</ref> the original of which was "written on a wrapper" and later housed in the clerk's office of the Fredericksburg, Virginia district court.<ref>Robert Bevier Kirtland, ''George Wythe: Lawyer, Revolutionary, Judge'' (New York: Garland, 1986), 139n.</ref> The transcription (dated 1946) has the author of the letter as a "W.A. Rino," but this is probably an error in reading the original handwriting. It is more likely the letter is actually from William Alexander Rind (1763-1842),<ref>Ibid.</ref> the prominent editor of the ''Federalist'' newspaper in Richmond at the time (and later in Washington, D.C.). Also mentioned is a "James Rind," who was in fact, the brother of William.

Rind wrote the note to borrow an an "Electrical Machine" belonging to Wythe, in the hopes of curing a female slave belonging to his brother James who had a "lock<sup>d</sup> Jaw." Wythe owned many scientific devices and apparatus,<ref>In a letter from Judge William H. Cabell to William Wirt, written before 1834, the judge remembers a visit to Wythe in Richmond, when "the good old gentleman brought forth his philosophical apparatus and amused us by exhibiting experiments, which we did not well comprehend, it is true, but he tried to make us do so, and we felt elevated by such attentions from so great a man." Printed in John P. Kennedy, [[Life of William Wirt|''Memoirs of the Life of William Wirt: Attorney General of the United States'']] (Philadelphia: Blanchard and Lea, 1846), 141.</ref> and listed in the inventory of the books he [[Jefferson Inventory|left to Thomas Jefferson in his will]] is the manual for "[[Description and Use of Nairne's Patent Electrical Machine|Nairne's electrical machine]]" (1783), which the inventor states was not just for physics experiments, but was "constructed with a particular view to the purposes of medicine," and can be used to cure a number of ailments by delivering electric shocks, even specifically mentioning "the locked jaw stands confirmed by many successful cases."<ref>Edward Nairne, [[Description and Use of Nairne's Patent Electrical Machine|''The Description and Use of Nairne's Patent Electrical Machine: With the Addition of Some Philosophical Experiments and Medical Observations'']] (London: Nairne and Blunt, 1783), 57.</ref>

There is no record of a response from Wythe, or if Rind's efforts were successful.

==Transcription text, 1 November 1946==
===Page 1===

<blockquote>
W.A. Rino [''sic''] presents his Respects to Chancellor Wythe, and solicits the loan of his Electrical Machine for the purpose of electrifying a Mulatto girl who hathad [''sic''] a lock<sup>d</sup> Jaw for some time. The girl belongs to Mr. James Rind and is in a dangerous Situation. W.A. Rino [''sic''] therefor hopes that Mr. Wythe will excuse the Liberty taken as Nothing but the necessity of the case could have induced him to trouble M<sup>r</sup> Wythe with a Request of this nature.

:::::::::::::::Tuesday morning
:::::::::::::::August 12, 1800



[Reverse addressed to]
::::::Hon<sup>ble</sup> George Wythe



:::::::::-------
:::::::::::::::From the original in
:::::::::::::Fredericksburg [Va.] District Court
:::::::::::::::1 November 1946
</blockquote>

==See also==
*''[[Description and Use of Nairne's Patent Electrical Machine]]''
*''[[Life of William Wirt|Memoirs of the Life of William Wirt, Attorney General of the United States]]''

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://aspace.swem.wm.edu/repositories/2/archival_objects/199138 Manuscripts - Group 3 - People,] Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

[[Category: Letters and Papers]]
[[Category: Science and Medicine]]
[[Category: Slavery]]